Memory Alpha:AOL chats/Ronald D. Moore/ron058.txt
Subj: Answers Date: 9/25/97 6:44:09 PM From: RonDMoore <> The TNG cast will not be appearing in the wedding show. I don't know if they're planning to use Dax in the feature or not. <> I haven't heard anything about a new animated series. <> I don't know and I don't think so. <> Tom's reappearance is a possibility, but I doubt we'll see Ro again. <> Write to the Star Trek Production Offices at 5555 Melrose Ave, LA, CA 90038. They're direct you to the right source. <> I stand up and salute whenever it's mentioned. <> Not in quite a while. <> Hope springs eternal. <> I believe Walter Koenig wrote one or two of the animated episodes, Nimoy has story credit on Trek 4 & 6 (?), and Shatner has story credit on 5. I think those are the only ones. <> I've looked through it and I think it's a hoot. <> Hate to be coy, but if I even gave you the title, you might guess too much about the story at this point. It'll be out there soon enough, I'm sure but I'd like to preserve the surprise for a little while longer. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 9/25/97 7:01:56 PM From: RonDMoore <> It does apply only to humans and I'm not sure how that qualifies as being "racist." The Eugenics Wars were strictly a human experience and the prohibition on genetic engineering was presumably something that was part of Earth's own laws before it joined the Federation. I should also point out that Kurn's genetic makeup was altered to hide his identity, not to enhance or re-engineer his essential nature, which is what the human prohibition is all about anyway. <> That's debatable. Plea bargains are nothing new and this seemed like it was within the rights of the JAG to make this kind of deal. <> This is the old argument about "what we could have done" as opposed to what we did. We could have done a lot of things, but this is what we chose. I didn't want Bashir to find out about his enhancement for the first time in this story, so we didn't do it that way. I find Bashir a more interesting character because of the fact that he had to hide his secret for so long. Yes, he lied and yes, his parents did too. (I should also point out that Riker lied about his actions on the Pegasus for many years also.) I think it makes Bashir a far more believable character to see that he's not some 24th century perfect automaton, but a flawed human being just like everyone else. In my view, it makes him *more* heroic to see that he's made of flesh and blood. There's also no contradiction in Bashir having said his father was a "diplomat" and then finding out that Richard couldn't hold a job. It just means that Richard had a job that had something to do with diplomacy and then he moved on to something else. And a "third-class steward" is an indication of his title or rank, not a reference to working in a third-class cabin. <> It was always a temporary title. We just slapped in on the script until we came up with something better. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 9/25/97 7:17:35 PM From: RonDMoore << In the version I saw shoot had Papa serving the trout to a young Vulcan male (played by a young actor named Adam as I recall). The version that aired had that Vulcan sitting in the same table in the same location but Papa serving the fish to a woman (sitting at another table to the Vulcan's right). I had remarked to someone I know in Makeup that I found it interesting, since Vulcan's were vegetarians, and that person phoned whom ever on the Voyager makeup does Tuvok asking about that.I was there long enough to see them completely re-light and setup for other shots. So obviously, that scene was re-shot. So, how was that caught? >> I'm not sure what happened, so you should pat yourself on the back and take credit for it. << The Jem Hadar seem truly devoted to the Founders but the Vorta seem to have a bit of self-serving interest in the situation. Do they believe the Founders are gods to the extent of the Jem Hadar?>> The Vorta have more of an interest in their own survival than do the Jem'Hadar, but they do consider the Founders to be gods. <> The changes in the Ferengi were well underway by the time I came aboard, so I can't really speak to the hows and whys of what happened at the time. We have thought about mentioning Letek from time to time, but haven't put it in a script yet. <> No one "Big" at the moment. <> We bitch about this constantly, but it's ultimately up to the local affiliates to schedule the show according to what they think will work in their markets. It drives us nuts. <> Probably, but we're still dealing with all the fallout from the Dominion war, so there's no new lifeforms on the horizon. There will, of course, be new guest stars right from the beginning. <> Well, Gene felt very strongly that all the contemporary Earth religions would be gone by the 24th century and we've tried not to violate that. I don't necessarily agree with that concept, but it was a core tenet of Gene's Trek. We did establish Christmas in Generations as something that's still celebrated in some form, (and Thanksgiving was mentioned in TOS) but I think that's as far as we're going to go. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 9/25/97 7:18:32 PM From: RonDMoore <> I still have to pitch my ideas to the writing staff along with everyone else -- it's a very collegial bunch. I just don't think that the Iotian idea ("Collecting the Action" is a cute title, BTW) is something we should do after having done "Trials and Tribble-ations." T&T was our heartfelt salute to TOS and I don't think we should try to top it. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 9/25/97 7:23:17 PM From: RonDMoore <> We really dig Martok and love J.G. Hertzler's portrayal and you'll definitely be seeing more of Martok this season... as well as another member of his family. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 9/26/97 5:56:43 PM From: RonDMoore <> I surf about from time to time, but this is the only folder I frequent with any kind of regularity. <> This is something that's always nagged me and most of the writing staff, but the schedule is the virtually the same one that TNG used to adhere to, so I'm not sure we can blame it for a lack of viewership. <> It varies widely. A pitch can be bought on the spot or not for a year or more, depending on the needs of the show and how confident we are in the story idea itself. <> We hear this promise every year. Unfortunately, a lot of the publicity effort falls on the shoulders of the local affiliates and they may or may not want to spend the dollars to push the show. Voyager benefits from the fact that it is the flagship series for an entire network and thus has the network itself spending the bucks and promoting the show whenever possible. < Worf story (I think I'll wash my hair that evening. Unless of course there's something interesting happening on the station?). Finally, in Episode 4, they deign to mention Kira and Odo. In other words, all the early publicity seems to ignore Kira, Odo, Dukat et al. Is this a true reflection of the story arc? Or do the publicity office think we're not interested?>> Kira and Odo are featured prominently in every one of these episodes (even the Klingon show). The stories on Terok Nor during the Dominion Occupation are very important to this arc and I have no idea why the publicity doesn't play them up as well. <> Only two scenes were entirely cut. One was the "orbital skydiving" sequence at the very beginning of the film, and the other was a brief bit on the Enterprise-B bridge after they'd discovered that Kirk was "dead". Other than that, there were trims and cuts in other scenes for time, or for editorial reasons. I don't know if there are any plans to re-insert any of this material for the network telecast. << If there is anything that you would have done to change the original star trek, what would it have been>> Re-write the third season almost in its entirety (although there are a couple of 3rd year Treks that I did enjoy and some I'm just perversely fond of, like "Day of the Dove"). I'd also have let it run for a full five years. <> No. I only worked with him directly on a few occasions and had only a few social interactions with him. He struck me as a big bear of a man, with a gentle nature and an easy smile. <> No. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 9/26/97 6:17:50 PM From: RonDMoore <> No, and I never expected him to. They're different men and each of them guided Trek during different periods (with a three year overlap). If people want to criticize or praise Rick for what he's done with the franchise, it should be on the merits of the work not out of some comparison to what Gene may or may not have done. <> Send something you want signed to me, c/o Paramount Pictures, 5555 Melrose Ave, Hart Building 405, LA, CA 90038. << Is there any chance of you working on Star Trek IMAX?>> No, they already have another writer (whose name escapes me at the moment). <> I haven't got the slightest idea. The notion's never occured to me, but I'd certainly check it out. (Would I be frightened????) << Is it true that the reason that you chose O'Brien to say in T & T "Look, over there, it's Kirk!" to that extra because he was william shatner's fight double?>> We didn't know he was Shatner's double, we just saw that he was wearing a command uniform and was about the same size and decided to go for the joke. << if one of us Trekkies were at convention and saw say Johnathon Frakes and asked him if he would like to make a guest apperance on DS9 and he says yes how can Ron say no he doesn't, does he go interview all of them and ask would you like to have a guest apperance on DS9?>> There's a difference between an actor answering a question at a convention about the possibility of doing a guest shot and an actor actually calling up the DS9 offices and saying, "Hey, I'm dying to do a guest shot." To my knowledge, while the TNG cast may be open to the idea, they're not calling us up and trying to get on the show. << Is Rom *really* working undercover for the Federation?>> Tune in and you'll see. << TV Guide quotes Chief O'Brien in "A Time to Stand" as calling the Dominion War "three months of bloody slaughter." Does this mean "A Time to Stand" takes place three months after "Call to Arms?">> Yes. <> I don't think it would immediately cure them of their allegiance to the Founders, since there's a genetic predisposition on the part of the Jem'Hadar to worship and obey the Founders. But curing the White addiction would certainly change things in some degree. <> Our intention is to give all the regulars meaningful storylines. <> The UFP legal system does not emulate the US legal system in many respects and therefore this was permissible. <> The Line Producer is responsible for the actual hands-on budgeting and scheduling of the show. He's the one who's working most directly with the various departments to produce the show, does the hiring and firing of the crew, arranges for special equipment, makes up the budgetary reports, etc. under the supervision of the Executive Producers. -------- Subj: Answers Date: 9/26/97 6:21:34 PM From: RonDMoore <> He was replaced by a Changeling before WOTW. It's been established that there are ways around the blood testing -- a Changeling can hold a bag of blood inside his body for just such an eventuality. <> The most important place to send letters is to your local affiliate asking them to buy the show for the seventh year. -------- Moore, Ronald D.